Pietersen, Flintoff may pay counties to pursue IPL dreams

London, Dec 11 (IANS) England captain Kevin Pietersen and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff may have to compensate their counties to fulfil their dream of playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).Hampshire and Lancashire are seeking compensation from Pietersen and Flintoff as they get ready to sign deals with IPL franchises for the Twenty20 league. Pietersen reportedly had been offered $1.7 million from an IPL team while some other teams are also trying to rope in Flintoff for a hefty sum.

“The last thing we want to do is stop Freddie making money in the IPL. Good luck to him. But we will be seeking compensation if he does play. The county season will be under way by then,” Jim Cumbes, Lancashire’s chief executive, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

“No figure has been mentioned. It might be 10 percent of his contract. And we would prefer it to come from the franchise, rather than the player’s pocket,” he said.

Hampshire chairman, Rod Bransgrove, said England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can’t permit Pietersen to play for any other team when the domestic season is in full swing.

“Some people think that because a player has a central contract the county does not have anything to do with him any more. The England management might like to think that is the case. But it’s not.

“England are entitled to play Kevin and they are entitled to rest him. But they can’t permit him to play for another team in the course of the domestic cricket season. Any centrally contracted player must have permission from his county if he intends to play in the IPL. And in Kevin’s case that’s Hampshire,” he said.

Bransgrove said that Hamphsire is ready to allow Pietersen play in IPL but the franchise concerned would have to reach an agreement with them.

Coincidently, Bransgrove is representing the 18 first-class counties on an England and Wales Cricket Board committee which is redrafting the England players’ central contracts, where the issue of release agreements is on the agenda.